A/N: I thought this should be a separate chapter…
Neru's POV:
When I woke the next morning, the sun was streaming easily from behind my curtains, which were pulled open for some reason. Usually, I woke up to darkness…that way I could fall back to sleep easier. I saw that on my small side table was a breakfast. The bagel was cut into a heart and bathed in cream cheese. The banana that lay next to it was peeled and sliced.
I never ate a lot of food partly because I wanted to look slim and frankly, I was a lazy bum so I don't do exercise anyway...partly because I'm also too lazy to eat anyway. This had Len written all over it so I rolled over to ignore it, falling back to sleep.
Len's POV:
Neru was still sleeping when I came back into the room. Her blonde hair was in disarray and I wanted to almost tug it out of that ponytail of hers. She was rolled to the wall now, but I saw that my tray was either ignored or never even seen. I brought a lunch tray now, in case she woke up in time. I didn't care much for that concert anymore…
Neutral POV:
At one o' clock when she woke up, the breakfast tray had been replaced with a lunch tray, holding her favorite-macaroni and cheese, and a cup of apple juice. Neru was now hungry enough to move to the edge of her bed, dip the large spoon into the bowl and scoop some into her mouth. She loved the feel and she licked the spoon clean before eating the rest of the bowl and downing the sugary juice as well. She looked under her bed and saw there were presents from everyone underneath. Her heart swelled slightly, and she promised she would check them as soon as could.
Neru's POV:
With more energy than I usually would, I rolled out of bed and changed out of the dirty pajamas I had been wearing. I now wore my usual and official outfit, short skirt, long socks, pretty comfortable actually. Suddenly, something hit me. THE CONCERT! I lunged onto my bed and I grabbed my phone and flicked it open. It was only 2:30, thank God…the concert didn't start until...3:00! I had overslept…as usual. I dashed to the bathroom adjoined to my room and got my hair ready, brushed my teeth violently, and grabbed my contacts case and ran to the front door. A spot of yellow caught my eye.
Len's POV:
I could hear Neru's pattering footsteps. That girl would never go so fast unless she was late to something important…like a phone convention…I could see she held her contacts pack in her hand and didn't seem to be able to make me out. She had pretty bad eyesight from being glued to computer screens too long.
"Everyone else had left, and it felt wrong leaving you here." I said, explaining my presence. Neru put in her contacts quickly. Her golden eyes widened hysterically.
"Len! What are you doing here? You idiot! You're up second! At least I'm one of the last ones! BAKA!" she grabbed my hand and tried to tear me out the front door. I pulled away from her.
"I'm not going to the concert."
"Why not?" she snapped angrily, again, flicking her bangs.
"Because I wouldn't feel the connection I usually would." I shrugged. I wouldn't let her know it was because of the suddenness with which she left me last night.
"You're an idiot Len, I don't care to be a Vocaloid with a bunch of stupid fans, but I am one, and I take it! You have to do this too!" I have never heard Neru speak so passionately. I seemed to be learning a lot from this girl over the few years I met her—yes, lazy but dedicated, grumpy but passionate, tsundere, but caring. I wouldn't keep my distance this time. This time, I was impatient.
"Neru...why do you always act like this, but when you sing...when you're hooked up to those wires...you're someone else, someone soulful and meaningful."
Neru blushed and flipped her hair angrily.
"Len we don't have time for you to be like this, COME ON!"
"Neru…"
"Shut up and walk here mister!" she said, stepping out the door
"Do you? You never answer me or my sister, or ANYONE when they ask you something about me. Do you really not care?"
Neru's POV:
"It doesn't matter! Do you really think it matters to me that everyone can do everything better than me and that all I do is sit in front of a computer or text on my phone while listening to loud music? I have nothing to do with my life, so NOTHING matters Len, not even you!"
I know what I am…just a boring girl who's bored all the time. Nothing excites me except when I'm with him. After that, everyone else just amuses me…
"Why not?"
"No one cares enough, all right? Give me something to make fun of, give me a funny text, that's all I care about"
It's true, don't you know? That's all I care about!
"I do care though Neru, especially about you, but you never let me." He appeared in front of me and took me by the hand.
W-what? Why does he always do this. I also think for half a second that he might be telling the truth…but that's not true. I'm just someone who destroys her friend's room because she can't tell her to her face that she needs to stop that stupid, nerve wracking habit!
"Len...you...you always play with me like this!" I jerked my hand from his.
"Neru...do you know me to be like that?"
Len…Len wasn't always like that. He's always nice with everyone, even to little girls who're lost…or young boys with little sisters, always telling them to protect them…always standing up for the younger kids, always a little unsure of himself…always so trustworthy.
"It doesn't matter." Is what I say instead.
"Neru...I want to be with you, I want to make you care" he entwined his fingers with mine. I didn't pull away angrily, just held on slightly…just to make him give this whole stupid thing up though!
Len's POV:
"Thanks...that was all I needed to know." I then grabbed her hand tightly and we both ran to the bus stop outside the house. Teto pulled up in the Vocaloid tour bus, showing pictures of me and Rin, Kaito and Gakupo, and Miku singing loudly. On the other side were the other girls, also singing passionately for the camera.
"It was about time! Get in!" the pink-haired woman shrieked.
"Teto?" Neru asked confused?
I grinned, "I told her to wait...I didn't want us both to be late." This was true. If Neru changed her mind, no point to miss my turn now.
Someone else was on the bus. Haku was leaning back in her seat, her sweat pants slipping down her legs and her bust showing even more that it usually did in any other position. I looked away hurriedly while Neru slipped out of my warm hands to confront her.
"Haku..."
Neru's POV:
"No, Neru, it's allright. Thank you." she patted the seat next to her and I quickly sat down next to her.
"The others talked to me yesterday, but you know me. I wouldn't listen to them anyway…it was you who made the impact. Sorry darling, it might take a while…but…I guess I should try."
"You should", I pouted sarcastically.
Nuetral POV:
Len watched the two in silence, thinking of how perfect they were together, like two sisters. Neither was talking, they were both sleeping.
They arrived at the concert with enough time for Len to jump into costume with Rin.
When Neru's turn came she saw him from backstage winking at her.
She sang Melt with Miku as her chorus, with all the raw emotion she could, of wanting someone…of wanting Len…that she could. When they shouted the last note, the stadium broke with applause, leeks were flying, and people were holding up cellphones for pictures. Neru was nodding her head humbly at the audience's cheers and walking off quickly so Miku could get the rest. Len was the first to greet her.
Neru's POV:
"Neru! We're doing a special bonus song for this concert!" Len seemed to jump with excitement in his open-shirted costume.
"What? Who?" I couldn't believe my ears. Me, doing a duet with Len? Who on Earth made this up? He's supposed to be with Rin! Not even fans would want to hear us together
"Me and you, we're singing Meltdown in a duet!" he continued.
"Why that one?" I asked, clearly showing her confusion. A song filled with wanting to die, be cleansed, wanting to kill, to just…end it all really…that's…an ironic song for our concert.
"It's passionate and we sing it well, I'm sure we'll sound great together." he added kindly. Poor kid doesn't seem to understand the meaning of a love song. He may sing many, but really, he was oblivious to what true, good love songs were.
At the end of the concert after Teto sang at her usual 100 mph pace, the two blondes walked onto the sweaty stage. The crowd was roaring.
"Listen to them...we'll do better that way..." he murmured.
"O-ok...?" I always did well...but then again, I didn't really have duets that often, not true duets, with some one like Len.
"Machiakari hanayaka eeteru masui no tsumetasa..." she started, Len chimed in and when she heard his voice, she almost felt how he had longed for her, stayed up at night, and thought about her. She matched his longing with the desperateness in her voice. He looked over at her and took her hand. Even though her small hand was sweaty and cold, he didn't mind, he held it tight as they sang.
After the concert she sat alone at the back of the bus, she took out her phone slyly and saw she had a new text message, she didn't know this number.
Mind if I sit here?
She looked up and saw Len smiling warmly at her, it shone in his eyes and in his cheeks. She ignored him and instead texted-sure
His phone vibrated in his pocket. He flipped it open and read it as he sat down.
"Neru...you like me right?"
She froze up again, she couldn't bring herself to trust him, but as he noticed her insecurity, he placed one hand on the side of her face, lifting it to his.
"Len..."
"Trust me?"
"I..." he stopped her by kissing her nose lightly. He rested his forehead on hers and waited.
"Yes, I do...but I can't always act this way for you. You know who I am-"
"Yup, you're annoying, angry, violent, lazy, but you're also caring," he put emphasis on that, "full of spirit, and powerful." when he said the last word he touched her on her chest bone, indicating her heart.
She blushed and looked out the window at the setting sun. Len didn't say anything else for the rest of the trip. The other Vocaloids whispered amongst themselves.
Meiko whispered to Teto-
"They ought to get a room! But it's so cute...!"
"I know...Len is so cute..." Teto sighed, causing Miku to eye the 31 year old woman a little more oddly.
"I think it's kind of weird. I never knew they had feelings for each other" Miku said lightly. Rin jumped in:
"You should see him whenever I talk to her, he always wants to know what she's saying, and when he's with her, he tries to act all tough-like to cover his feelings."
"He's an idiot of course" Miku said, and they all nodded profusely. Gumi giggled, sending her green hair into a disarray. Luka interjected-
"But will it last?" Gakupo jumped over the seat and landed next to the soft pink haired girl.
"Of course it will! I taught the little charmer everything I know about women!" he draped his hand over Luka's bare shoulder while she shrugged it away.
"You're as cold as Neru" he pouted.
"Yea, well Neru's getting some love and you're not." she retorted.
Kaito slipped next to Miku, she reached to hold his hand-
"They'll last, just like we will, my little kitten" he whispered in her ears, sending tiny chills down both their backs.
"They're certainly going at it anyway..." Haku whispered, though everyone heard it and looked towards the back where Neru and Len were kissing softly, Neru's eyes filling with soft, salty water that Len kept wiping away with his thumb.
A/N: Keep reading for a little bonus chapter on what everyone gave Neru :D